


Tears

by Requestedgems



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Biology, Danger, Drama, F/M, Fantasy, Human, Human MC, Lies, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Loki - Freeform, Loki Fanfic - Freeform, Loki Fic, Loki has powers, Mentions of Blood, Mystery, POV Female Character, POV Loki (Marvel), POV Third Person, Rich Loki, Roses, Sadness, Saving the World, Slow Burn, Tears, Vampire AU, Vampire Loki (Marvel), You need a hug, also jarod is a doll, and lies you find out about later and ooooooohh, and tears, badass main character, basically in a mansion, blood biology, eyes changing color, fluff and a bit of angst, help me main character, its beautiful in there, jarod is really sweet, just a smidge, lie to save your life, loki has a lot of secrets, loki laufeyson - Freeform, loki needs some support, loki: the bookworm, lots of roses, main character has visions, more in the later chapters, not a lot, saving vampires, smart mc, so thats a thing, someone's also hunting you, things get complicated, things heat up a bit, towards the end, vampire, vampire biology, vampires are dying, vampires explained on a biological level, you learn them, youll find out who jarod is in the fic, your life is constantly in danger, youre definately not a sucker, youre my only hope, youre very smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 13:39:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17448020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Requestedgems/pseuds/Requestedgems
Summary: Loki is a vampire. A four, five, six-hundred-year-old vampire, give or take a few centuries. He's incredibly smart, intelligent, and devastatingly beautiful but he cannot solve every problem. That's why he needs you. You are a simple biologist trying to analyze a blood sample that you don't understand and Loki might just have the answers to. You'll eventually need his help too. Helping each other, well, gets complicated. Loki tells himself it's your wit that keeps him drawn to you, but there are only so many lies one can tell one's self and others.The bigger problem than a budding romance: how do you keep yourself alive in a place crawling with blood-sucking vampires?You lie and you get very good at it.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration? Reading a lot and parts from one of my dreams. Enjoy the ride.

“I see things are going well.” Jessica had a funny way of showing up at random times. Considering the fact you were well into your lab experiment and had nearly spilled a petri dish of blood all over yourself, this was one of those times.

“Next time you walk in could you like, I don’t know,  _ breathe _ .” You sputtered out.  You held the tray a good deal away from your lab coat and checked your clothes for signs of contamination. “Jess, you know how sensitive this work is.”

“I know, I know.” She holds a styrofoam cup in her hand, a little sphere of cardboard acting as a barrier between its radiating heat. “It’s just sometimes you’re so in your work. You do know that we have like two paid fifteen-minute breaks, right?”

You sighed, setting down the disturbed dish. Your chair emitted an annoyingly loud squeak as you turned to accept the small cup of warmth, the noise interrupting the quiet of the room.

“Thanks.” The words sounded rushed and fatigued; they perfectly captured how you felt. Running a hand through your hair, you swallowed the liquid as a trail of fire shot down your throat. You shook your head a couple of times. 

“So…” You started. “How're things looking on your end?”

Jessica’s brows furrowed and deep lines appeared on her forehead. “We’ve been trying multiple approaches but...nothing.” A long trail of disappointment leaves her lips in the form of an exhale. “I just - I don’t know what to do. Nothing about those lash wounds on that girl makes any sense.”

A woman was found a few weeks ago, deep gorges in her stomach and an astronomical amount of blood loss. By the time first responders found her, she was delirious and half-dead. Now, she’s recovering, but no one can explain how she survived the sheer volume of bleeding.

Waking in a cold sweat and with a head full of soaked hair, you’ve known about her from the night before. Blood left her like a fast-flowing river, each drop pooled onto the street. A man stood over her, eyes dead and bleak and black. Black like the void. He was smiling, a grin spread wide enough you’d thought he’d won the lottery. Tears dropped from your face. They happened every time you’ve had dreams like this. The tears were the only separation between fiction and a possible reality.

When you heard the news next day, you weren’t shocked, even less surprised when asked to analyze blood samples recovered from the scene.

“What about you, Ms. Vampire? How’s the blood testing?”

They loved to tease you about your extensive training in all things blood-related. Something about it fascinated you. All its intricacies. All its secrets. Every piece of biological evidence could be found in a single drop of blood. 

Who knew just a drop could reveal so much?

Blood was a puzzle and you loved puzzles, but this one refused to be solved. 

“The same. I keep finding traces of multiple DNA samples along where the wound was drawn, one that matches the patient and another from an unidentifiable source. But, come over here, look at this.” You swiveled around to show her the printed reports for the genetic code and proteins, the same ones that told you the possible perp in question could not be human or animal.

“What does this mean?” She pointed at the same part you’d been drawn to. 

 

      U N R E C O G N I Z A B L E   N E U C L E I C A C I D. P L E A S E  R E T R Y G E N E T I C T E S T I N G.

 

This message wasn’t a novelty. It happened sometimes when a few chemicals were added wrong and the system couldn’t process what nucleotides were in the DNA strand. Multiple nucleotides could stand for the same type of chemical telling the cell to make one protein.

But after five tests? Five? And they all came back saying the same thing? Humans and animals have identifiable markers. Trying to match a protein to a known sample should not be a challenge. 

This could not be a coincidence.

“Since I’ve gotten the same error message five times, either we’ve found a new species of life on our planet or we’ve discovered the presence of aliens.”

Jess’ eyes were wider than saucers.

 

__________________________________________

 

“Ms. (y/l/n), would you mind stepping into my office?” Marcus, your team leader, and supervisor, called from down the long hallway. 

_ What did this buffoon want now? _ Needless to say, it was a wonder he got the position he has; you were more than convinced he was the owner of four humble but inefficient brain cells.

When you took a few tentative steps in his office, it became clear what you were needed for. All the air was sucked from your gut as you laid eyes on the brightest azure you’ve ever seen in your entire existence. Those richly colored eyes were staring back at you with the same intensity, an intensity you thought would let lighting shoot out from between the two of you and ignite the room in flames.

Not even realizing you stopped mid-step, Marcus came to sever the connection this man’s eyes held over you.

“Ms. (y/l/n)? This is Mr. Laufeyson, an award-winning chemist and a frequent consultant of our leading patients.” He gestured out widely as if introducing her majesty in the flesh. Like he was some god. 

You weren’t stupid. Of course, you knew who this was. It just took you a minute to breathe again. 

“It’s an honor, sir.” You held out your hand. 

Mr. Laufeyson took one look at your outstretched palm and then back to you before responding, “Mr. Baldwin, I do hope you know what you’re doing.” 

Retracting your hand with the look of a scolded child on your face, you moved your focus back on Marcus. 

_ Ouch.  _

Marcus shifted his tie around, attempting to loosen his collar a bit, obviously uncomfortable. “I assure you, sir. She’s the best.”

Mr.  _ Laufeyson  _ sat in the dingy plastic chair with a sigh and you tried to restrain your hand from sending a massive slap across his face, or from knocking him across the room. Or any act of violence for that matter. 

You gritted your teeth, locked your jaw, and sat down as quietly as you could. The nails of your fingers dug deep crescents into your palms. 

Marcus cleared his throat before proceeding. “Well, Ms. (y/l/n), we seem to have a proposition for you.”

It took you a few, angry seconds to unlock your jaw. “I’m listening.” 

“Mr. Laufeyson has been working a great deal on a case you’ve been completing all sorts of blood tests for.” He paused, looking between the two of you as if he’s hoping you’ll both turn to each other and instantly get along. “It has been brought to his attention that some of the research he’s attempting to conduct requires the assistance of someone with extensive knowledge of blood and its components. I thought you would be a good candidate.” 

_ That’s it? Help out snotty? _

Mr. Laufeyson did not add anything to his comment nor even spared a glance in your direction. Since he didn’t seem that interested, you were prepared to say no. “Well, since Mr. Laufeyson has voiced his doubts earlier, I think you should consider someone else.” 

The man sitting beside you had the audacity to laugh. A small, simple stopping of the breath and a grin captured his face. You concluded he was either very arrogant or insane. As he began to speak, it became clear it was both. 

“Are you saying you lack full conviction of your skill set? Or are you implying that I’m not worthy of being graced with your assistance?”

The  _ audacity _ . He ignored your handshake and asked if Marcus was certain of you. Who wouldn’t be mad? And he had the nerve to get mad at you? 

Your blood coursed through your veins, bringing with a boiling stream of anger, threatening to explode. It took a few deep breaths to calm down before you responded. 

“I’m implying you’ve insulted me only seconds ago and now have the nerve to ask me for ‘assistance’, Mr. Laufeyson.” You never looked in his direction, only facing Marcus, who was shaking so hard you could feel the vibrations on the other side of the desk. 

Loki scoffed before turning to look at you. “Ms. (Y/l/n), need I remind you that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You will not get an offer like this again.”

This time you turned your head purposefully slow, landing on eyes that had brightened since the last time you saw them. “Well then, Mr. Laufeyson, it appears this may be the wrong lifetime.”

And with that, you stood and walked out of the office leaving a flustered Marcus, who was absolutely positive about the coming loss of a job, and a stunned Loki, who had never, ever, in his dreadfully long existence, been spoken to that way.  

 

__________________________________________

 

You slammed the door to your lab with a force that could break it clear off its hinges. You were convinced it did until you turned around to find the door still in one piece. Frustrated and angry, you still felt like a thousand volts of white, hot electricity were coursing through your veins, determined to find an outlet.

You needed to leave.

The only thing happening in this building today is pressure. Pressure building so high you knew it was determined to burst. You knew you’d be the one to pop it.

Getting ready to turn around and power stomp through the hallway at breakneck speeds, your door swung open with a force far gentler than your own.

Those electrified eyes were back on you and the shock from seeing them dissolved whatever tension in your veins, like water poured over a raging fire, any residual heat turning into steam.

“Ms. (y/l/n), I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot.” Words poured from his lips, but all you could hear was a sad attempt an apology. He’d have to do better than that. “I am not usually that cold.”

You scoffed. “I find that hard to believe.” Crossing your arms over your chest, you refused to meet his intense stare, eagerly transfixed by the tiny cracks in the wall.

He took a few tentative steps closer; you responded by taking a few, noticeably larger ones backward. “I know what you’re thinking and you are right to be mad, frustrated, and angry with me, but I do hope you’ll forgive, and agree to help, me.”

He moved closer and you were seriously considering picking up a beaker and breaking it over his face. Violence was becoming an easier and easier topic for your mind to drift to.

“What makes you think I’ll change my mind so easily?” Everything stopped after you made eye contact with him, your eyes landing on his bright ones.

“I do not think that you will.”  _ Were his eyes getting brighter? Why are the walls warping? The ceiling, oh goodness, the ceiling is going to fall down.   _ Your legs gave out from underneath you but the eye contact you shared with Mr. Laufeyson never broke, not once. Somehow, even though you were across the room from each other, you were caught by him, his eyes brightening even further and further until you were almost looking at a blue toned star. 

You couldn’t look away.

“I do hope you can forgive me one last time, Ms. (y/l/n).” Your eyelids, weighed down by a thousand weights, fluttered close and Loki breathed out a sigh of relief. 

 

__________________________________________

 

There was a weight on your head, pushing harder and harder, determined to render you useless. To your dismay, it was working and quickly. The fact that you couldn’t see a damned thing and the little you could hear sounds like it was at the end of a long tunnel you couldn't reach made it all worse.

Where were you? Why couldn’t you see? The last thing you could remember was those eyes but why? Why were they the only thing your foggy mind could recall? Surely, there was something else you missed, something important; it hung in the air like a void you needed to fill but you couldn’t remember how to.

Sitting up hurt even more, but what really sent trepidation shooting down your spine was the feel of fingers trying to push you back down. 

Because there was no way in hell you were going down without a fight.

Wildly flailing your arms about (you had little feeling in your hands anyway) you tried to strike, with no avail, anyone within a two-foot radius from you. After being pushed back down and shushed, you moved to kicking. Your legs were efficiently restrained.

Since you lacked the ability of speech, as there was a literal earthquake happening in your brain, you decided to lay still -- for now. Flailing got you nowhere and just resulted in restraint. You could hear voices speaking to you, but they were still too far away to fully understand what they tried to say.

You moved your head from side to side a little, trying to make the nebulous haze over your senses lift but it refused to, sticking like super glue.

A few mumbles and an “I need to look at her”, what you discovered was a mask was peeled from your face and you were met with those eyes again. Although, this time, they weren’t as bright. 

Upon seeing him, your whole body stilled: every muscle tensing, your eyes involuntarily widening, goosebumps appearing on your skin.

 

“Go back to sleep. You’re safe.” His words threw you off guard and a fresh pocket of anxiety bubbled up against your chest. You felt your surroundings moving slightly underneath you. Are you in a car?

You tore your eyes off him and looked around. Leather seats, a rearview mirror, a window directly behind you. Yep. A car. This was a kidnapping. You were absolutely certain death was upon you. 

You tried to cry out but your lips refused to move and you sounded more like a mentally ill patient than a biologist.

“No, don’t look away.” His hands guided your face back to where he was in your direct line of sight. Bright. They were bright suddenly. They weren’t before. What happened? How does he keep doing this?

“Look at me. Focus on me.” Your eyelids felt heavy again. “That’s it.” He cooed, almost like talking to a child. “There you go. You’ve had a little accident and we need to take you someplace safe, okay? We’re on route now. Go back to sleep.” 

This was not the man you met what felt like minutes ago. This man was kind and reassuring, the other, arrogant and dismissive.

If he was taking you someplace safe, why the need for the covering of the eyes? Why were you in the car and not an ambulance? What even happened that would require transport with multiple men you’ve never seen before? Why do you feel so sleepy? Why can’t you stay awake? You can’t feel your hand anymore and your vision is getting smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller and--

Black.

 

__________________________________________

 

This time, there was no fog when you awoke. There was no splitting headache. This time, there was a dark room with ridiculously high ceilings made of many rows of wood, each with a beautiful warm, rich golden hue. 

Another glance around and you found the walls all made of the same wood, each piece cut with care and perfectly shaped. A fireplace casts an orange light around the darkened room, a glass window revealed the night sky. Your fingers grasped velvet, its naturally silky texture running through your fingers, and a pillow kept your head from laying flat. 

Where were you?

You sat up, a slight pounding began but quickly faded as you remained upright, one head propped against your temple; it was a wonder you weren’t attacked with a thunderous migraine. Whatever they did to get you here wreaked havoc on your brain. 

This sucked.

To make matters worse, you weren’t in the same clothes you left in. Your pants were the same but your shirt hugged your figure a little tighter than you were used to and it was made of silk, little patterns of vines running through it. A sweater, male by the way it fit, was thrown over it, a dark plum. It smelled of sandalwood and fir trees. You definitely didn’t own anything this nice. Who could have changed you? 

Just as you were considering leaving the bed and trying to figure out a plan for how to escape, the wooden door swung open, interrupting your envisioned power walk for the second time today.

You were expecting those bright blue orbs again but this time you were met with a warm amber and lighter hair. Whoever this was, you hadn’t met yet. You weren’t sure you wanted to.

“Hello, Ms. (y/l/n). I’m Jarod.” The man wore a full suit, his black tie perfectly straightened. He strode over effortlessly to where you sat stunned and incredibly confused. You’d peg him to be about thirty or so, not a day older. “How are you feeling?”

You had far more questions than the simple one he proposed, but you decided to appease him. You didn’t know what he was here for and it was better to play nice instead of just lashing out without a fully formulated plan in mind. 

“I’m okay. My head just hurts a little.” Your hand rested against your left temple.

“That’s to be expected. I bet you have a lot of questions.” He perched on the edge of your bed, far enough away from you to give you space, but close enough to where you wouldn’t have to raise your voice to hear one another.

“I do. A lot of them.”

“I’m sorry to say I cannot answer them, but we can attend to your head pain.” He stood and backed away a bit. “Please, follow me. I’ll escort you to our infirmary, but do take your time. Your discomfort may cause some instability when you try to walk.”

You headed to his precaution, slowly swinging your legs over the edge of the bed and taking your time standing. Surprisingly, you found no difficulty in walking, your shoes still on your feet.

A flash of shock came over Jarod’s eyes for a split second before it was replaced with a gentle smile. He walked to the door, opened it for you, and followed you out, locking it securely behind you. 

Cold breeze surrounded you, enveloping you in a cocoon of chilled air. Gooseflesh appeared on your skin and you brought your arms around yourself.

Jarod closed the door securely behind you and took in your freezing state. He waved his hand, prompting you forward. 

Just as you started your journey down to where ever you were going, Jarod spoke.

“Welcome to Black Oak, Ms. (y/l/n).”

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki shows you the chem lab and the enemy reveals himself

Black Oak? Where the hell was that? A thousand more questions entered your mind, all fighting for the top spot. You planned on opening your mouth to voice all thirty-five of them, but Jarod paused in front of a blacked door with a leaf inscribed on it in flowing, elegant strokes.

“We’re here.” He gave the door a gentle push and your footsteps faltered.

The room was unlike anything you’ve ever seen. 

Walls were shelved with all types of ingredients. Lavender, citrus, magnesium,   acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), you imagined anything you’d ever need would be found here. It looked like an apothecary room on steroids.

Jarod stopped as he guided you into the heavily scented chamber, his eyes affixed to the lady currently pulling a glass container filled with some sort of plant from the third shelf. 

“Arina.” His voice gave a hint of warning behind it as if he was letting her become aware of something. “We’ve come for some aspirin.”

Arina turned around slowly, her dull forest green eyes landing on you. She wore a black tunic with some sort of leaf—the same on the door—on its left side as if signifying her position. The sleeves bellowed out at the ends, her fingers stained red. She slowly took a breath. Her gaze honed in on you, eyes widening and flashing--silver? It took a minute for her to regain her composure before she looked away and ambled over, with perfectly balanced steps, to grab the aspirin and slid a couple of pills out. 

Jarod motioned for you to stay where you were and sauntered over to Arina to accept the medication. As she handed him the white tablets, she said something in a voice far too low for you to hear, her lips moving too rapidly for you to catch even a snippet of what she was saying.

He nodded furiously as she poured a glass of water and slid it over to him, her eyes slid over to you more than a few times—they were now somehow green again. When she was finished, he walked to you, handing you the pills. 

You took them eagerly and chased it down with two gulps of water. Handing the cup back to Jarod, he ushered you out, politely, quickening his pace as you left.

 

__________________________________________

 

Only when you were both in the bedroom you’d started out in and the door was secured shut did Jarod speak again. “Please excuse me, there are still things you cannot know yet, that’s why I neglected to say anything of Arina’s behavior right away.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. What was so important to know about before you could be informed of what was going on? “What do I not know?”

Jarod’s eyes flashed. “I’m afraid, Ms. (y/l/n), I am not at liberty to tell you.”

“And how do you know my name?”

“Mr. Laufeyson instructed me to attend to you when you woke.”

_ That SOB. _

“Of course.” You breathed out, becoming more frustrated. “Is he the one keeping me here? Did he kidnap me?” 

Jarod smiled, shaking his head. “He has no intention of keeping you here against your will, though I assure you there is a reason as to why you’ve been brought to Black Oak.”

You wanted to throw something. What in the world is Black Oak and where were you really doing here? “What could be so important that I would actually choose to remain here?”

Jarod gestured towards the door. “You’ll have to ask Mr. Laufeyson that.”

Then, strolling in the room with dark dress pants and a light blue dress shirt, came Mr. Laufeyson, your kidnapper. 

_ Oh, heavens above.  _

Your eyes locked again and it was Mr. Laufeyson’s turn to freeze. To be frank he was surprised you were even conscious. Peeling his eyes from yours, he trudged over to the desk in the corner. 

“I see you’re awake.” He opened a book and poured through some papers.

That’s it? After the hassle of coming into your office, dragging you out, putting you in a car, and undoubtedly carrying your unconscious figure into this bedroom, that’s all he has to say to you.

“You can go, Jarod. Thank you for watching over her.” Mr. Laufeyson looked over to him, smiling a bit.

“The pleasure was mine, sir.” Jarod smiled and turned his gaze to you. “Good luck, Ms. (y/l/n). I look forward to working with you.”

What did that mean? Jarod then exited the room, his white dress shirt stark against the darkened wood of the hallways, and closed the door behind him.

Silence hung in the air and for a few beats all that could be heard was the rustling of pages being turned, then, Mr. Laufeyson spoke. “I bet you have a lot of questions.”

“I hope you have a lot of answers.” You were convinced steam was pouring out of your ears.

“I do.” He walked over to you and motioned to the chair behind you. The chair sat near a table with an accompanying chair on the side of it. “Sit.”

You obeyed, sitting with fingers laced over one another. You tried to envision the aura of a professional businesswoman; your imagination surged further to imagine you were trying to broker a deal. It gave you a bit of a confidence boost before your voice nearly gave out on you, making you sound like someone with a bad case of smoker’s lung.

“Why am I here?” Your voice felt weak and you cleared it, wondering why it gave out so suddenly. It couldn’t be nerves; you weren’t nervous. Right?

Mr. Laufeyson stood and grabbed a kettle and two mugs. “Tea?” He must of read your facial expression as the next words were an attempt to assuage the fear no doubt rising in you. “It’s not poisonous.”

Wearily shaking your head, you accepted. Taking a sip, rich flavors of honey and a dash of cinnamon bloomed on your tongue. Your sore throat corrected itself instantly; the next time you spoke, you barely recognized the sound of your own voice. 

“Mr. Laufeyson, I’ll cut to the chase. Have you kidnapped me?” He took a few sips of his own tea before responding.

“Kidnapping is a strong word for it.”

You scoffed. “Then please,” You gestured at the table, “ Enlighten me.”

He smirked, eyes glowing a bit brighter. It took you a second before your heart started beating again. “You aren’t being held against your will. You’re free to go whenever you please, but I wasn’t joking when I asked for your assistance.” His eyes grew serious and suddenly the room felt charged with electricity, the hairs on your arms raising slightly.

“What seems to be the problem?”

He cleared his throat and played with his mug, swirling the liquid in the cup. Silence hung in the air and with it brought a growing tension like a storm arising.

“Ms. (y/l/n), I’m going to let you in on an incredibly huge secret and I need you to swear not to freak out, or scream, or do anything of that nature.”

What in the world could he possibly want to tell you? “Okay, I swear not to scream like a twelve-year-old girl.”

He took a breath before looking those eyes on you again. They were dark and stormy, full of confusion and yet, a softness you couldn’t place. “Frankly, Ms. (y/l/n), we’re vampires and we’re dying and nobody can tell us why.”

 

__________________________________________

 

You didn’t scream, not once. Not when he told you how they survived on blood, not when he told you that there were many of them all over the world, not even when he told you that woman who died was at the hands of one of their own.

A failed mutation and a bloodthirsty fledgling.

He later explained Black Oak was a place of asylum for vampires. A place they could stay, receive care, have access to knowledge, and blood. Anything they needed for survival lay here.

The thing that did freak you out: this place was crawling with them. That meant when you and Jarod walked the halls, every person you passed probably smelt it on you. They could even smell the blood in your veins, hear the thumping of your heart. You could have been killed.

But you weren’t. Because you were wearing his clothes. Which covered your scent. Somehow.

That girl in the apothecary room still acted weird even with the covering of your scent. So much for fully functional explanations.

Mr. Laufeyson told you he, “needed your help in deciphering this problem as you are one of the most knowledgeable in your field.” 

You had a hard time believing that. 

Once he finished, he’d stared at you over the table as it was your turn to fiddle with your mug. You tried, in vain, to process all the information thrown at you, a little thrown off by the intensity of his stare.  _ Vampires, they’re all vampires. _

“What do you say, Ms. (y/l/n)? Can you help us?” His eyes never glowed once when he asked you that question, just open, waiting for an answer.

You took a deep breath. “Yes, Mr. Laufeyson, I’ll try to help you in any way I can.”

“Loki.” He glanced down before looking back at you. Your eyes widened. “Call me, Loki.”

You smiled and chuckled a bit. “(y/n).”

 

__________________________________________

 

The two of you walked side by side through a hallway made of wood with a deep, amber varnish. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls, each only a few feet from the next. Every one of the paintings featured a former vampire, their eyes painted like precious gems, glowing and sparkling with every changing angle of light.

Although the staircase took your breath away, Loki had put a hand on the small of your back, gently prodding you down the marble stairs. The banisters were lined with roses, each connected to multiple lines of bushes all woven around the bottom portion connecting the banisters to the actual steps.

Every step you took brought with it the deepening desire to reach out and touch one. Loki switched to your right side, acting as an immovable wall between you and the flowers.

“Don’t touch them,” his voice registered more like a whisper than the volume he normally spoke at. “You’ll only leave your scent behind.”

He was right, of course, but you still wanted to. 

His lips curved upwards as a small pout took your features. You wanted to throw him down the stairs.

Loki brought you to a halt before a steel door. Placing his hand on a pad and punching in a few numbers, the door gave way with a hiss and he ushered you inside. A quick look around told you this was a lab. A longer look showed you a chemistry lab, unlike the apothecary room you’d previously been in.

“This is my private lab.” He shut the door and walked around to a table with two flasks, one filled with a blue substance, the other one clear. “This is where I come to work on the fledgling research.”

“Do others know about this?” You reached out to inspect one of the names on the beakers but suddenly he was in front of you. 

“Yes, and a couple of others frequent here. Let’s not let them know you’re here, yet.” 

Nodding your head, you took a turn around the room, making sure not to touch anything. He had a lot: alkali earth metals, all sorts of metalloids, acids, bases, and journals you were convinced were stocked with formulas and procedures thousands of years old. 

It was like his own private chemistry institution. 

_ How long has he been alive? _

The thought crossed your mind more than once. 

The vast amounts of knowledge left you in awe. There was no way in hell he could have collected all this overnight nor even in a century. 

“Mr. Laufeyson,” you words sounded unsure on your tongue, almost like you were testing out a foreign language.  _ Loki _ still felt too personal, you weren’t sure you should use it. “How long have you had all of these books?” 

He watched you move around the room before looking away from you for a second playing with his fingers. 

“A while.” His forehead creased. “Maybe a few centuries. Four, five, six, I don’t remember, It’s been so long.” He sighs, spreading his hands on the table. 

He whispered the next part so low you almost didn’t hear it. “It’s Loki.” His gaze moved from the table to you, his eyes glowing slightly. “Loki, not Mr. Laufeyson.” 

You froze. His eyes shined brighter the longer you looked at him. It took some willpower to look away. The electricity humming through your veins slowly dissipated. 

_ Okay _ . 

“Well, in that case,  _ Loki _ , what’s it like being a vampire?”

He chuckled a bit, breaking the tension. “What do you mean? Are you speaking of not going out in sunlight, being allergic to garlic, and being killed by either a wood stake through the heart or by silver?”

You almost choked. “Uh-hm.” 

He walked near you with a lithe figure and practiced grace. “Here.” He pulled up his sleeve and put his wrist by a window you didn’t even know was open. The oncoming dawn gave a soft hue to the world and a beam of sunlight for Loki to stick his arm into. 

Nothing happened. 

Leaving it there for a few minutes, he drew his wrist back inside. “Consider that debunked.”

“Also, in case you weren’t convinced.” He popped open a jar named and pulled a small rectangle of a reflective substance out. “Silver.” He squeezed his palm around it. 

Nothing happened. 

He opened his hand, removed the silver piece, and moved it around. No burn marks, no indication of harm. 

“Need I demonstrate the garlic theory?” 

“Nope. That was...satisfactory.”

He unrolled his sleeve and let it fall over his previously exposed wrist. “Shall we begin?”

“Sure.” You walked over to where you assumed multiple vials of blood were. “Where do we start?”

  
  


__________________________________________

  
  


A few days went by and the two of you fell into an easy routine. Wake up, eat, shower, maybe talk a bit, he escorts you to the lab, you work for a while, Jarod shows up, brings lunch and helps you with the samples, and then you leave to go back to Loki’s room. Jarod also ate food too, his usual a turkey sandwich. 

Strange. Vampires don’t eat food, do they?

Sleeping arrangements were a bit tricky but ultimately you both decided you would sleep on a blowup mattress on the floor and Loki would continue sleeping in the bed. 

He had objected heavily, “you’re  _ not  _ sleeping on the floor”, but you reminded him of his concerns with your scent and how negatively that might affect his image if someone found your human fragrance all over his bed. 

He eventually relented. 

Besides, you weren’t on the floor; you’re on an air mattress in a vampire’s room.

 

Today, however, was the day the schedule was broken. 

You were working, as usual, at analyzing the DNA sequence of multiple vampires and the few fledglings they’ve found blood samples for. The scent of your latex gloves covered up the smell of the chemical you were holding. Loki insisted that you wear gloves in the lab at all times to act as a barrier between your scent. So you did. You also still wore his clothing, although you chose things small enough for you. 

You didn’t want to die by the hands of a vampire if you could help it.

The procedure inscribed in a book called,  _ Dissecting DNA _ , only called for a few drops to be added to the existing blood; the helix would form on its own. Isolating the double helix took a bit of time but, once you did it, it was fairly simple to establish the code for it. 

The heavy tomes that accumulated in Loki’s lab provided a well of infinite information. All of it was useful and you couldn’t wait to pour over it all.

You looked at the watch Loki gave you. 8:45 am. Jarod was late. 

Since you were in Black Oak, adhering to VST (Vampire Standard Time) was not a choice. You woke up at 2:00 am, dressed, had breakfast, and was in the lab by 2:45 am. Lunch was supposed to be at 8:30 am and Jarod was never late. 

What happened today?

A pounding on the door sent a jolt through your body, causing you to nearly drop the sample in your palm. Jarod never knocked on the door; he knew the code. 

_ Who in the world was this? _

You moved to look through the peephole when the door swung open. In came a man you’ve never met with a disheveled Jarod in tow.

“Well, well. I’d heard the rumors but I scarcely believed it was true.” The voice came from the owner of the pair of onyx eyes focused intently on you. He effectively pinned you between the table behind you and the door, the gap closing with every step he took. Adrenaline kicked your body into overdrive.  _ It’s him. The eyes in your dream.  _ You started to reach for the flask of acid behind you when he spoke again. “He  _ actually _ got help.”

You opened your mouth to stay something but thought better of it. This man was much faster than you and could kill you in an instant. There was nothing to stop him from ending it all now.

“What are you? A biology major?” You didn’t answer. “No need to be shy, I’m a friend of Mr. Laufeyson.”

You gave a curt nod, backing up to keep the table between the two of you.

“What are you working on? I mean, he couldn’t possibly enlist the help of another person, one who wears his clothes, without knowing they possessed a brain equal to the likes of his own.” He touched the desk, crossing the space you just created to get out of his reach. 

You couldn’t lie; the erratic beating of your heart would give you away if the vampires could actually hear heartbeats. Also, considering the fate of the woman in your dream, you had no intention of ending up like her. So, you tried to spin the truth. “Genetics.” Your voice cracked at the end and you cringed. “Genetic sequencing.”

He stopped moving and stared at you, his gaze direct and unsettling. Something stirred inside you, a warning, as if your inner rejection could make him leave.“Okay.” His hands came together so loudly you flinched. “Keep up the good work, I bet he’s very proud of you.” A smile took his features. Not a friendly smile. A Chucky smile. 

Finally closing the gap, he leaned in to pinch your cheeks as you turned your head away from him. “See you again, Loki’s assistant.”

You let out a shaky breath as soon as the door closed. Falling onto the table for support, your legs nearly gave out beneath you. A fresh wave of nausea surged, threatening an emptying of stomach contents. Seconds later, a voice came from behind you.

“Are you alright, Ms. (y/l/n)?” Jarod walked up slowly. “I’m sorry for not stopping him in his harassment of you, I don’t know what came over me.”

You ran a hand through your hair and turned to face him. “It’s okay, Jarod. Did he mess with you? Did he hurt you?” His tie was crooked and his hair stuck up in multiple places. You reached out to pat it down but Jarod quickly took over.

“Ms. (y/l/n), this male came in and assaulted your good name and you’re concerned about me?” He chuckled and straightened his tie. “I’m quite alright. Although I think it’s best we suspend our task and return you to Mr. Laufeyson’s quarters. We have much to discuss with him.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a slightly frustrated loki and the promise of an upcoming dance

“Sir, Ean intruded and was only moments away from attacking Ms. (y/l/n).” Jarod was seated on a chair by Loki’s table. He’d taken the liberty of explaining the situation while you lay on your blow up mattress, trying to fully comprehend the gravity of your previous discourse with the man from your vision. A man who definitely knew a lot about you. More than he was letting on.

“I attempted to stop him or move to some degree, but found my limbs rendered useless. It was as if I was a statue, my limbs fabricated from marble. I’ve never felt such a sensation in my life.” His tone wavered and you sat up. You’d never witnessed Jarod so disgruntled before. You’d also never seen Loki’s eyes darken. 

There was always a first for everything.

With slightly shaking hands, Jarod attempted to straighten his already perfectly straight grey tie. “Thank heavens for Ms. (y/l/n)’s quick thinking; she, at least, seemed to resist whatever spell he held over me. God, I feel so incompete-”

“No need to explain any further. I understand fully.” Loki held up a hand and turned to look out the window, a brightening sky staring back at him. His posture hard and straight, you saw his eyes in the spotless glass. They were no longer the color of the midday sky; they were the color an angry funnel cloud threatening to unleash a tornado. 

His eyes caught yours and they didn’t look away. A current sparked to life as you held his stare as fiercely as he held yours. There you were, contenders in an unspeakable battle with the promise of some unspoken victory. The pit of your stomach exploded in flames but you ignored the warmth, too focused on the cool, hardness of his fixed look. You were determined not to lose. 

Jarod’s clearing of his throat broke your concentration, but it wasn’t you who looked away first. 

You watched Loki’s shoulders move up and down, a large breath releasing in tandem with the movement. He turned around. “(y/n).” Involuntarily, your eyes snapped from the glass to him.  _ This is the first time he’s called you by name.  _ “Did he hurt you? Did he touch you in anyway or-” He took a breath. “Try to make advances at you?” His tone tight but his pronunciation soft, a jarring contrast that didn’t soothe nor limit the anxiety building. 

It just made it worse.

You searched a description that wouldn’t set him off. If the tight, strained words didn’t give an indication of his possible fury, you might rely on the total shift in the hue of his orbs. Orbs which were now looking at you, getting darker with every second you didn’t respond.

“He didn’t try to… come on to me.” You saw his bundled up shoulders relax. “But.” They lifted again. “He did pinch my cheek.” You crossed your fingers over one another, pulling tightly. It was a sad attempt at ridding yourself of the pressure build up, most likely a product of Loki’s unnerving and direct scrutiny. The humming of some unidentifiable power was still there, growing stronger by the minute.

He watched you for a second longer before storming out of the room; the charged particles buzzing in your veins and in the air rushed to follow him, leaving you drained of energy and this room drained of its previous vibrancy.

 

__________________________________________

 

The rumbling of your stomach disturbed your sleep for the second time today. Not that it was restful anyway. Jarod left about an half an hour ago and Loki hadn’t returned so you turned to the only thing to do: napping. Every fifteen minutes, your mind would drift back to the shift of Loki’s eyes and the unnatural void in  _ Ian’s.  _ Who even was this Ian and why did Jarod and Loki both automatically know who he is?

What are they not telling you?

It only took a few minutes for your mind to drift into that foggy haze. Your legs wobbled and bucked like a horse learning how to walk for the first time. There were trees surrounding you on all sides, closing in as the leaves beneath you crunched beneath your feet, each sound practically generating a beacon for him to follow. It was pathetic, a pathetic attempt to run from those soulless depths that somehow passed for actual eyes. You had no business trying to outrun him. He was a vampire, a blur, an apparition to your all too human senses.

When his teeth latched on to your exposed neck, a broken scream pushed its way out of you before a firm hand clamped around your lips, sealing them forever. With the last of your life force drained from you, the only thing you saw was the void.

Jolting awake, you pushed the damp hair out of your face. It clung vigorously, refusing to release your neck and effectively covering the back of it. Your hands circled your cheeks a couple of times. It took a few minutes for the compressing walls to return to their proper place and for the cold air on your skin to allow warmth to over take it.

You rolled your self over to the edge of the mattress and laid your feet on the equally cold hardwood flooring. It only was a few steps from where you stood to the bathroom but each step felt like a mile. Your legs were steel and your body made of rubber. By the time you’d reached the sink, you still lacked full control of your fingers.

The cold water was soothing, a pleasant contrast to your inflamed, blotchy skin. Your face looked worse in the mirror. There was no spark in your eyes, a dull sheen covered them as you finished wiping your face dry.

Spreading your hands across the counter, you let your weight slip down to your palms and your head fall to the pull of gravity. 

This was exhausting.

Having these premonitions, or maybe even visions, left you more drained than when you ran a marathon for the first time. All strength in your body was leached away by the contents of your dream. What was worse? Not being able to tell if it was real or fake. 

There was a time you’d dreamt about your previous boyfriend proposing to you next week. You went to the same restaurant, same table, ordered the same things, even said the same dialogue, but no ring. Instead, “I think we need a break”. You’d ended that break quick and left even quicker, your hopes turning to dust.

The sound of the door opening disturbed your thoughts. 

“(y/n)?” Loki’s voice rang through the room.

“In here.” You wiped away the wetness still sliding down your cheeks, an after effect of visions. The door peeled itself open and there stood Loki, this time in a navy sweater and food in hand. Not all heroes wear capes, even when delivering food, but they usually wore hats.

This hero had no hat, but he had food and that was enough.

He gave you a once over, taking your tousled appearance and your red eyes. His lips tightened but he said nothing about it. “Come eat.”

 

__________________________________________

 

After getting some soup in your system and a shower and some new clothes, product of Loki, your roommate seemed ready to toss some questions your way.

“Why were you crying?” He never looked at you, too consumed by the volume in his hand.  _ The Illiad  _ by the looks of it.

You shifted on your flattening air mattress, turning to face him. “I wasn’t.”

“There were tears on your face.”

“They weren’t from sadness.” You rolled on your back. “Or from anything really.”

You felt his eyes on your face. The sound of his book set on the desk prefaced his next comment. “People don’t have tears running down their face for no reason.”

You sighed and closed your eyes. “I wasn’t crying.”

His footsteps paused, but they started again on the way to the fireplace. He stroked the hearth and let out an exhale. You sat up and ran your fingers through your shower soaked hair. 

“Come over here. Your hair will dry quicker.” Loki never looked at you, but turned his head in your direction. You were wary to follow his instructions but eventually you relented. The flames were high and the sound of crackling wood soothed the after affects of your terrifying vision. You closed your eyes and let the heat envelop you in warmth. 

“I’m sorry for not being there.” You opened your eyes to find Loki looking at the fire. “I should have been more cautious. Ian is-Ian has a tendency to stick his nose where it doesn’t belong. He’s also irritatingly observant.” His jaw worked as he said the last few words.

“Who is he? Why does he have so much influence over people?” Loki didn’t answer. “Is he a threat? Is he a danger?”

“You shouldn’t worry about him.” He watched you with a fixed expression. A gentle smile took his face. You decided to stop pressing your point but you didn’t forget what he said. If you pressured him too hard, he would never speak on the subject again.

“Okay.” You looked a little harder at Loki’s eyes to see they’ve returned to blue. “Your eyes. They’re light again.” Those said eyes widened and he looked at you, a bit of bewilderment coloring them. “You’ve had blood, right?”

He looked away and smirked for a millisecond before he began playing with his hands. “Maybe I need to be more careful around you. You’re too smart for your own good.”

You smiled at this and returned to look at the dancing flames. They spread over the log like a wildfire, bringing the brown of the log to life, casting it in an orange glow. “Speaking of being more careful, your eyes brighten when you’re trying to make me do something.”

He scoffed and looked at you incredulously. “Don’t try to deny it.” You held up your hand. “You never once drugged me when getting me here. It was pretty obvious when the last thing I saw every time you night-nighted me was those bright, glowing eyes.”

He shook his head. “Too smart.” He looked at you again, the hum spreading across your face confirmed it. A warmth kindled in your stomach. His stare lingered. Finally, he shook his head a few times and cleared his throat. “How’s the progress?”

“Good.” You breathed, thankful for a new topic to contribute too. “I think I’m understanding why you vampires crave blood so much.”

His eyes lit and his head cocked to the side a bit. “It doesn’t bother you that we drink blood?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Answer the question. Does it bother you?”

He looked at you with such a force.  _ Oh he’s being serious.  _ “I’ve seen and heard of some crazy things in my lifetime, drinking blood is not the craziest. So, no. Especially knowing the science behind it makes it less detestable.”

He leaned back a bit, watching you for a second. His scrutiny made you think you gave the wrong answer, as if there was one, and you looked away. Clearing his throat, he brought his eyes back to yours, now liquid honey from the fire. “Continue.”

The color of his eyes made it hard to concentrate. He was gorgeous and naturally, you stuttered a bit as you spoke your first words of explanation.

“Every human pro-produces blood from bone marrow.” You took a breath. “They start as stem cells and can be altered to become a red blood cell, which I assume you knew.” He nods. “Well, looking at the genetic code for the stem cells in vampire bone marrow through a red blood cell and a stem cell sample, the stem cell doesn’t have a code to produce a red blood cell. It as if it was wiped from the bodies memory entirely.” He watches you with peaked interest and something else, something intensified from the fire. “Since rbcs are the source of life, you crave blood because you can no longer produce rbcs on your own.”

Loki looked stunned and overwhelmed. “How did you crack the code in only a few days and it’s taken us vampires thousands of millenia to even get close to that conclusion?”

“Maybe you didn’t look in the right spot. That and you can barely control yourselves in the presence of blood.”

“You’re still breathing aren’t you?” His eyes were almost orange. Your heart skipped a couple of beats as your heart tried to remember to beat. You looked away from him and onto the floor. “That’s control, enough.”

A knock sounded and Loki sighed, “Who is it?”

“Jarod.”

“Come in.” The door creaked and Jarod’s slightly widened eyes peaked through.

“Sir, we may have a problem.”

.

 

__________________________________________

 

A couple minutes later, you were informed of a blood moon ball, a festival for vampires to celebrate their creation. Whatever the hell that meant. The problem, as if this place wasn’t full enough, there would be boatloads of vampires in Black Oak. Apparently, there was a ballroom big enough to accommodate so many guests. 

This also meant that you wouldn’t be able to go anywhere are do anything. It also meant the risk of you being here was tripled.

“...and now that people have seen her, they’ll assume that she’s either a half-blood or a full vampire. She’ll be expected to attend and introduce herself.” Jarod propped himself up on a wall near the door, his arms crossed over one another. His body language was relaxed but his words tense and gruff.

Loki paced in his corner a bit. “So, she has to attend.”

“Yes.”

He stopped and glanced at you before looking at him; that electricity bloomed again. “I know some people that can help with that.” 

 

__________________________________________

 

It took only a few minutes and a short car ride before you stood before a woman in a beautiful dress shop. The shop contained varieties of dresses, all in differing colors, cuts, textures, embellishments. Each section was dedicated to different hues. There was a section for bright reds and brilliant oranges. Another for deep blues and royal purples. There was even one for rich greens and warm browns. It was a seamstress’s paradise.

The section you stood in was where all the blacks were located. The amount of varying necklines was enough to make your head spin, but that was only the tip of the iceberg. Each dress was made with many altercations, some with sparkles, some with flowers sewn into it, some with billowing skirts, and some of a form-fitting material.

The woman who took care of the shop had beautiful red hair, each strand falling in differing waves. Her eyes were a medium green and kind. Although the shop was so vibrant, she only wore a black pant suit with a lavender dress shirt underneath.

“I think this may be the one.” She walked around you, examining each part of the dress on your figure. You stood on a little platform facing three mirrors all angled in your direction. Each way you turned, the tiny sparkles on your dress began to shine like stardust. It was breathtaking. 

The longer you wore the dress the more you were convinced the dress wore you.

Loki hadn’t really said much as you’d tried on a dozen different dresses of assorted styles, cuts, and fits. The only thing he did was stare. At the mirror. It was much harder to gauge his reaction and the buzz you felt whenever you were around him did nothing to quell your rising anxiety.

“I agree. This is it.” You looked at him over your shoulder and he finally glanced your way. His eyes brightened for half a second before he looked away. You looked back at the mirror and made a half turn, admiring the way the dress sparkled with each movement.

The neckline was off the shoulder and the skirt flowed away from you. Not so much you looked like cinderella but enough to to show it would flow around your legs as you moved. There were hints of gray towards the ends of the skirt as the material faded into chiffon. The stars were everywhere on the dress and left you bathed in starlight.

“I love it.” You gave a full turn, watching the dress ebb and flow. “This is beautiful.” You looked at the shopkeeper who smiled back at you. She nodded her head in finality.

“It suits you well.” She offered her hand to help you down. “Let’s get you changed.”

 

__________________________________________

 

Another vision rushed towards you as you admired the dress one last time.  

A corsage on your wrist, made of a red rose and small, adorning white tulips. Laughter, yours and Loki’s? A hallway, one you’ve never been down before and running. A pair of onyx eyes. A voice saying, “I know what you are.” The woods, the woods from before.

It faded as quick as it came. You wiped your tear filled eyes and closed your eyes. 

“(y/n)?” He was close behind the curtain. His voice was laced with concern and its soft, gently spoken nature was oddly soothing. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” It came out shakier than you intended. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

 

__________________________________________

 

The flowers made you nervous. The shop was beautiful, you wouldn’t deny that. It contained glass windows and all types of flora hanging from the ceiling and decorating the walls. All types of flowers were displayed in equally exquisite vases. This wasn’t a place you would dare frequent. Something told you your paycheck wouldn’t allow it.

Your heart gave a jolt when you were lead to an area with different colored roses and Loki immediately pointed to a vase full of blooming, perfectly sculpted ruby red ones. He slightly turned towards you but said nothing.

“These. And your white tulips as an accent to them.” He fixed his sleeve a bit and looked down at his watch. 

“Of course.” The man assisting you smiled and plucked a rose from the vase. He was maybe in his forties and had warm deep eyes. His and the dressshop keeper’s eyes didn’t glow like Loki’s eyes did or even some of the other vampires you’ve noticed along the way. “Your boyfriend knows what he’s doing, miss.”

You were taken aback. “Oh, we’re not dating.”

“We’re going to a dance. A very special one.” Loki cut in quickly, moving to stand near you. “I came to make her a corsage.”

The man chuckled and moved to cut the stems of the five flowers in his hands. “I know romance when I see it. I run a flower shop, if I can’t look love dead in its face and know its love I see, what’s the point of selling flowers?”

 

__________________________________________

  
  


“They knew you were a vampire didn’t they?” You sat in the car and watched the water bead up on the windshield. Loki never said anything, he just kept on driving. “The dress, why did you want it in black?”

“Because that’s what we wear in Black Oak. It would draw attention if you wore anything else.” His knuckles tightened on the steering wheel just a little. 

This time it was his turn to ask the questions. “What haven’t you told me? Are you unhappy here, is that why you’re crying?” The rain on the windshield splattered at an increased tempo. 

“No. I’m not unhappy, in fact, this is probably the most excitement I’ve had in awhile.” You couldn’t lie. Even being close to death, it was still an exhilarating ride. 

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

It wasn’t that you wouldn’t. You couldn’t. You had no idea of what this man named Ian could do and until then, you would not risk it by saying a word that might endanger Loki’s life. Your visions felt too strong to be wrong. 

“Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s fine.” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute flower shop guy and a few precautions for your safety that may or may not get jeopardized somewhere along the way.

Loki accompanied you everywhere you went. He no longer left you alone. You went to the lab together, worked on the genetic sequencing together, he would even stay in his room with you whenever you were there. You were never left to your own devices, not as long as he was still breathing.

Not that you minded.

You made progress and over the next few days, it became clear you were closing the gap. You’d learned the body of the vampire was working at a level above the normal human. Human bodies only operate around ninety percent efficiency (not one hundred so when you get sick you can begin to operate more efficiently to defeat your illness), but vampires work at about one hundred and twenty. Their cells replicate faster than the average human which stops aging but also allows different muscle groups to operate quicker, repair any sustained injuries faster, and heighten other senses.

Your theory lies in the fact that the venom in a vampire bite transfers cells which are injected into the bloodstream and alter DNA inside of cells in the recipient. It’s what makes them the hunting machines that they are.

Now that left the explanation of how does it get around? If vampires no longer produce red blood cells and need the molecular manipulation to create more cells like their own while also needing nutrients circulated inside of RBCs, how did it get around the body?

You decided to test this theory.

It was quiet in the lab that day. Loki was pouring over another novel, this time  _ The Picture of Dorian Gray,  _ and you were writing your findings in a journal he’d given you. It was a part of the scientific method and a vital step of collecting all the data the two of you stumbled upon.

Breaking the silence was a little awkward but not as bad as the questioned that followed. “Can I feel your pulse?”

The look on Loki’s face was priceless and you tightened your lips to keep your face straight. “Why do you think I have one?”

“If my theory is correct, you have one.” You stood and walked over to where he sat near the window.

He closed his book and turned to face you, head tilted up. “And what if you don’t find one?”

“Then one of my theories is wrong, and we go back to the drawing board.”

“What’s the other theory?”

“You lose your heart when you make the transformation.”

“Ah, so quick to assume the heart is gone. I’m wounded.” He put a hand to his forehead and feigned sickness.

“As if. Your body would just heal itself. You wouldn’t need one.” You lightly took his outstretched wrist and felt for his artery. Electricity spread as your fingers connected with his wrist but you ignored it. This was not the time to get distracted.

“The body cannot heal the injuries of the mind; the only things that can do that is patience and time.” The words floated off his tongue effortlessly and you envied his delivery. Knowing him, the quote was from a book he’s read.

“From a book?”

“From my head.” You looked at him to find him staring at you with something you can’t place. Your pulse thumbed in your ears and you looked back down. After minutes of searching, you still couldn’t find anything strong enough. Maybe, since they worked so well, the pulse of a vampire was much lower than the normal human. You knew when runners were fit enough, their resting heart rate was lower than average and it was hard to find a pulse for them.

That meant feeling for the carotid artery in the neck.

You raised your hand slightly, letting go of his wrist and moved a little closer. You looked at his neck before looking back at him, your skin warming slightly from the action. 

“May I? I can’t find it in your wrist.”

“Are you sure you’ll find one? When we first met, you seemed convinced I had everything but a heart.”

You rolled your eyes and placed your index and middle fingers on the side of his jaw, using your other hand to tilt his head up gently. “I-” 

You interrupted his attempt at talking. “Shh. You’re messing this up.”

“But-” Your eyebrows shot up and you cocked your head to the side. He stopped talking.

You closed your eyes and concentrated on your fingers. The only thing that could be heard was your breathing, your small inhales and exhales and -- and  _ his _ . Soon enough, you felt it. It was small and faint, like a child’s heart at the beginning of life, but it was there and it beat.

A smile broke out on your face and as you opened your eyes, his blue ones were watching you, searching every feature. His direct and open staring caught you off guard and it took a few minutes before the buzz you felt to calm down enough for your brain to switch back on. 

Your fingers were still on his neck. You were still  _ touching him.  _ Slowly, you peeled your fingers away. 

“Sorry.” They were almost back to their normal position, but Loki reached out and took them, his hands held yours loosely. His thumbs stroked the back of your palms.

“So, Ms. (y/l/n),” He looked at you with eyes golden by the morning sun, and a shiver ran through you. “What’s the diagnosis?”

“Well, Mr. Laufeyson, you do indeed have one. But something tells me you already knew that.”

__________________________________________

Jarod would join you on the rare times Loki would actually leave you alone. Today, it was in the bedroom as Loki now told you he’d be finding meals for you. You and Jarod had grown close since your time in the lab and the subjects you talked about.

You’d found out he had two sisters, a pet cat named cinnamon, and that he worked here as a financial advisor, which you were surprised they even had.

Today, the topic was flowers and your questions about them.

“So, Jarod. Since you love your peonies, why can’t you wear any flower you want to the dance coming up?”

“Oh I wish, Ms. (y/l/n), but the roses hold significance.” He took a sip of his tea and leaned back in his chair. “It would be much too impolite to wear what I desired.” 

“Why couldn’t you?” 

“The roses are the ones vampires celebrate, ones they consider were a sign of their creation. The pink roses signify a free vampire, one who hasn’t chosen an eternal partner. A red signifies a match and a partnership. Although, there are some who wear white ones. These are people who chose not to marry or enter into a romantic partnership.”

You nearly spit out your tea. “What?” 

“Yes, that’s how it works. You can spot the matches by the accent flowers on the corsage and  boutonnière. They’ll only be worn per one couple as there is a running list and people would be offended if they dared to wear another person’s flower arrangement.”

“Jarod. I--” You stopped. How much could you tell him? What would put him in danger? Ian already threatened him once. “I have a question for you.”

“Anything, Ms. (y/l/n).”

“You’re a half-blood, aren’t you?”

“Yes, miss, that’s correct.”

“How does that work?”

He set down his mug. “This is a part of your scientific research I assume.” 

You smiled and lifted your tea to your lips. “That would be correct.”

“I stopped aging around thirty.”  _ Haha! Yes! You got his age right.  _ “And I survive on both blood and food. I do still think I function as a human, I just have the system of a vampire.”

According to your theory for half-bloods, they still produced red blood cells, just not to the same extent as humans. Maybe he could prove your theory correct.

“Hm..” You nodded your head and took a sip.

“I don’t have the gifts either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed; I think you’re very observant. Mr. Laufeyson is excellent at persuading people to do what he wills them to.”

“Does it work on you?”

“Admittedly, sometimes.”

“Hm.”

“But, it doesn’t work extraordinarily on you, Ms. (y/l/n), and I cannot fathom why.”

You sighed and looked towards the fire. “I don’t know. I mean I’ve noticed it but I can’t explain why I’m somehow immune to his influence.” You let out a sigh and massaged your temples. “Sometimes, I feel he’s hiding things from me.”

“That’s funny Ms. (y/l/n), that’s the same thing Ms. Eliz--I mean, another lady commented about him.”

“Who was that?”

He waved his hand and smiled. “Nobody you should concern yourself with.” Taking a sip of his drink, he continued. “I’ve known Mr. Laufeyson to be quite the bookworm, have you read anything fantastic recently?”

__________________________________________

 

The paintings on the walls greeted you again. This time, you saw new faces. A Wentworth here, a Fouier there, and even a Fitzgerald. Each of them possessed stunning, sparkling eyes and an incredibly beautiful face.

Loki came to get you a few minutes ago, interrupting your conversation with Jarod. You were laughing about what you called VST (Vampire Standard Time).

“Where are we going?” Loki’s pace was brisk and you struggled a bit trying to keep up with his clip.

“To a trusted friend of mine.” His voice was short and his words felt final.

A couple of turns later, you stood in front of a wooden door. Loki lifted up his hand to knock but slightly turned to you. “In a couple of hours, you’ll be standing in front of a room full of vampires. The only way we’re going to be able to keep you safe is to change up your look a bit.”

He knocked. “What do you mean?” 

The door opened and a lady with a warm face greeted you. “Mr. Laufeyson. Please, come in.”

The room was dark, walls tinted black and a large fireplace adjacent to a window facing the night sky and tress, lots of trees. 

“What’s your name?” The lady said to you. She had long blonde hair and bright amber eyes, the color of sun golden maple.

“(y/n).” You turned from the window to her. “If I’m not overstepping, what am I doing here?”

“There was only one other human who dared to come in here and she asked the same question. Let’s get started.”

 

__________________________________________

 

It all made sense when you looked in the mirror. You didn’t recognize yourself. Your eyes glowed, your hair shone red underneath the lights, and your skin flashed an almost iridescent color. You looked like a vampire; you looked like one of them.

“All done.” She lifted her hands from your cheeks and brought them together as she leaned away from you. “It’ll only last a few hours; the glamour doesn’t take that long on humans. I’ve masked your scent as well. You’ll be nearly unrecognizable.”

You looked again in the mirror, touching your cheeks in disbelief. “This is insane.” The words spilled out as a whisper.

“This is protection, my dear. Humans don’t last long here; it’s a wonder you’ve fared as well as you have. The only way you’re going to survive the night is to lie and to lie like your life depends on it, because it may.”

The words struck a chord in you and as you stood to walk out of the small room, the woman uttered words so soft, you almost didn’t hear them. “I hope you survive. I hope you do better than the last one.” 

 

__________________________________________

  
  


Getting ready was strange. Fixing your hair in the mirror, trying to curl it, trying to move it around, it all felt wrong. You’d taken the pills the lady gave you to slow your heart rate. It would make you drowsy but it would help you blend in.

You sighed.

This wasn’t you and yet, now it was. 

Loki failed to say anything after you came out. His eyes did flash and his jaw worked a bit before he gave a silent thank you to the woman and escorted you down the hall. The eyes on the wall now reflected your own and instead of loving their dazzling beauty, you were afraid of their brilliant nature.

The dress was still as gorgeous as you remembered and now enhanced by your new ethereal appearance. It was almost too much. How submerged would you become before solving the problem of these mutations?

“(y/n)?” There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Are you ready?”

You tucked a few pieces of hair behind your ear and smoothed your dress down. Opening the door, you found an expectant Loki staring at you. His jaw unhinged and for a moment his mouth opened slightly. He recovered quickly.

He unveiled a pair of shoes, black heels bathed in glitter, like your dress. “Will these do?” 

You wrapped your fingers around the toe of the shoes and gently slipped them out of his hand. “They’re beautiful. How’d you know my size?”

“The shoes you wore here. It was a pretty good assumption.” He shrugged.

Shaking your head, you moved to sit on the edge of the bed. You slid the shoes on, admiring how they glowed and sparkled. They were perfect.

“Now,” Loki grabbed the corsage, the one with the red flower, and held it up to your wrist. “For the finishing touch.” His voice was silk. “May I?”

“Why red?” You saw his eyes flash momentarily.

“What do you mean?”

“Jarod told me about the rose thing. Why red? We’re not together.”

He took a deep breath. “I know we’re not together, but it’s much easier to pretend we are than to let you act single and give any vampire access to you.” He stepped a little closer and sat next to you on the bed. “This is the best way I know how to protect you.”

There goes that hum again. You wished he told you that sooner but the reasoning makes sense. “Okay.” You held your hand out. “I believe your logic is sound.”

He laughed and slipped it on. His touch was gentle and careful; it felt like a feather was brushing against your skin. “Thank goodness the girl with the science degree believes me.”

You smiled and looked at him. “Where’s your flower pin?”

He took it out of his pocket. 

“Give it here. I’ll pin it on for you.” His eyes grew serious.

“Are you sure?”

You shook your hand slightly and he placed it in your palm. Taking his suit jacket in your hand, you pinned it near his breast pocket.”There, now you’re ready.” 

His eyes did that thing again. It held some emotion you couldn’t place but it ignited a fire inside of your stomach. You couldn’t take it anymore so you looked away, trying to ignore the strong current moving around inside of you. 

“Well.” He stood and held out his hand to you. “Shall we?”

 

__________________________________________

 

The soft light of the candle-lit chandeliers spilled out onto the ballroom floor sparkling off the hardwood floor. There were roses of all colors and assortments dancing around the huge expanse of the room, twisting around pillars and twirling around decorative bushes.

Every single person in the room looked elegant and walked with inhuman grace. It was intimidating, trying to act like you were one of them.

“Are you alright?” Loki stopped and came around in front of you, searching your eyes.

“Yeah,” Your voice shook. “Just the nerves.”

He looked behind you and took your hand. “Dance with me.”

_ What?  _ “What?”

“Dance with me. It’ll help you relax.”

“I don’t think making a fool out of myself is going to help.”

“Just follow me.” He put a hand on your cheek and an explosion of heat came with it. “Focus on me.”

 

__________________________________________

 

A shaky inhale and a small inner pep talk later and there you were, twirling across the floor and having an amazing time. Loki’s hand wrapped gently around yours and the other was placed on your waist as he led you through a flourished waltz, spinning you here and there.

“Having fun?” He twirled your hand away from him and you spun, your dress flowing around your twisting legs. It shimmered a faint gold as the candlelight caught the individual bits of glitter.

You came to a stop and there he was again, catching you and picking up exactly where you left off. “Yes.” You laughed, a little breathless. “This actually isn’t so bad.”

His smile matched your own and the soft light bathed his eyes in gold. Your steps slowed as you became lost in their depths. “Your eyes, their gold again.” Suddenly, your skin bristled with energy as he stared back at you. 

“So are yours.” Your steps stopped and your heartbeat sped up. He was close, even starting to close the gap between you two. The electricity gave way to fire, fire that enveloped everything inside you and his eyes were alight. He slowly leaned in, his eyes flickering down to your lips. Your breath stopped, as did his. When your noses were touching, a voice cut in. 

“Mr. Laufeyson.” You went to move back but Loki’s arm around your waist kept you close. “I see you’re having a good time.” It was a man, also with a lady beside him. The roses they wore were red.

“Yes. It’s been a great time so far.” He let you step away a bit but kept a steady hand on your waist. “(y/n), this is Mrs. and Mr. Fitzgerald.” 

“Pleasure.” You shook both of their hands. 

Mr. Fitzgerald spoke with a deep, soothing voice. “It’s been a while since Mr. Laufeyson has come with a date. What makes you so special that he actually took the time to buy you a corsage?’”

You laughed. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

“You must be quite extraordinary. What do you do?”

You can’t tell him the whole truth, but you don’t necessarily have to lie either. “Biology. I work for a lab over in Europe.”

“Intelligent. I see now why he’s chosen you.” 

Loki laughed and pressed a kiss to your temple, a trail of heat imprinting the spot. You struggled to stay upright, your knees slowly turning to jelly. 

Mrs. Fitzgerald spoke up. “May we steal your date for a few minutes?”

Your heart sped up; Loki’s hand slightly tightened. “Yes, of course.” You turned to smile at him. He smiled back but his eyes were laced with concern. 

You stepped back from him and let them walk off the dance floor, leaving you alone. Exhaustion hit you like a tidal wave. The medicine must be catching up with you. You went to try to find a seat but someone swung you back onto the dance floor. 

“I know what you are.” The male voice turned you around to face him. It was him. It was  _ Ian _ . His voice was laced with malice and shadows. Your pulse kicked into overdrive and your palms became moist. You tried to break away from his iron grip but you couldn’t. “Leave or I tell everyone who you are and why you’re here and how you’ve lied to them.”

“I haven’t lied to anyone.”

“You can lie to the world, but you can’t lie to me. Remember where you are. You’re just a human in a sea full of vampires, hungry ones who wouldn’t mind tearing you to shreds.”

Your eyes froze in terror and he guided you around the floor, smiling at everyone. You were too focused on his black eyes and how soulless they appeared. 

Sooner or later, partly due to your lack of focus, you weren’t on the dance floor. You were in the hallway, the same hallway from your vision. You broke out in a cold sweat.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to die, Ms. (y/l/n).” He let you go mid-spin and you nearly slammed into the wall. “You know too much. I’ll keep this simple, you have ten seconds to run. If you let anyone know what’s happening, I’ll kill you. Your time starts now.”

After the shock wore off, you ran. Out in the woods, the night was black enough to obscure the colors of the leaves on the ground. But thanks to your visions, you knew enough to navigate them. There was a river in your dreams, and, if you made it in time, the sound could override your scent and hopefully cloud the beating of your heart. 

You heard him before you saw him but the reflection of the moonlight on the surface the river just caught your eye. You kicked off your heels and ran harder, desperate to get to the water, to throw yourself in and a wash away all of the danger.

You never made it to the river. You slammed down to the ground, hard enough to give you whiplash. There was no doubt about a cut on the side of your head, you felt the liquid slid down your face. 

“Gotcha.” He sounded like a snake, his fangs glinting off the moonlight. “You almost made it to the river. Smart. She tried the same thing.”

“Who?” His hand wrapped around your throat and squeezed. 

“Elizabeth, the woman who was killed last week. I know you’ve been working on this case. I also know you’ve been trying to find out why fledglings are dying. You can’t. Because if they know why they’ll kill me just as I killed her. So,” He leaned closed to your face and breathed in. His eyes closed in what looked like ecstasy. “I’m getting a head start by killing you.”

You were on the verge of blacking out and there was no way you had the strength in you to fight back. Instead of looking at the void, you looked at the stars and mentally laughed. At least you could prove this part of the vision wrong. The last thing you would see was the stars and the feeling of the stardust in your dress crying out to the twinkling lights above calling you home, welcoming you into their arms.

The burn of the bite felt so far away; you didn’t scream, you didn’t yell, you just waited for the stars to come and guide you home.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's taken me a while to update this and I apologize; I have no excuses. The good news? This is it, folks. The end of the fic is here and thanks for sticking around through my long stretched updates.
> 
> You get patched up, Loki gets Ian, and you lose a piece of yourself (it's not all bad, I swear).

Loki knew he stopped breathing. He knew it when he could feel your presence in the ballroom no longer. He couldn’t feel you anywhere. He was certain that your heart ceased to beat and that thought terrified him.

It scared him half to death.

He was well aware he couldn’t track you by scent but he focused on the last place he remembered feeling it beat the strongest. Walking with a hurried step, he came to a hallway, one that leads back into the main entryway and one, outside. 

His fingers grabbed his hair and pulled, a grunt of frustration coming out as a near growl.  _ Where did she go? Why did she leave? _

He took a short breath and quieted himself. If he was to have a chance at finding you, he needed to concentrate. Mentally, he drew all his focus to noises and sounds. The clacking of heels on the dance floor, the laughter of the guests, the sound of wine glasses clinking. Further, he willed. Birds in the trees, the window blowing leaves across the ground, and the river? There was something else, a sound he’d known belonged to all vampires.

His eyes narrowed and he took off like lightning, moving so fast you would think he was just a passing cloud of darkness created by the movement of clouds across the moon. His feet only stopped for a second to see Ian laying over you, red spilling from his mouth down to his cheeks.

Loki only saw red. 

Slamming into Ian with the force equivalent to a tidal wave, Loki sent him flying away from you. Ian was deranged, no doubt, and thoroughly annoyed but he stood, zooming over to Loki and connecting one to his jaw. Loki clamped a hand around his neck and catapulted him into the cold, rushing waters of the river.

His fangs glinted in the moonlight and his chest heaved. Taking a moment, his vampire teeth retracted and his inhales slowed. 

He nearly fell to his knees when he saw you. Your hair was a mess of branches and leaves and your dress stained crimson at the collar. But everything inside of him shattered when your eyes were left open, the stars twinkling off your jewel-like eyes. They weren’t held in terror but of a neutral expression as if you somehow knew that this was coming.

Falling to his knees, he scooped you into his arms and cradled you to his chest. “I’m so sorry.” He croaked, running a hand over your hair. “I never meant for this to happen. Not again.” He put his chin on top of your head and a small sob racked through him. “ _ No _ .”

A frustrated grunt came from a few yards away. Ian clawed his way across the shore, dragging his wet body and clothing towards where Loki held you. “You really think I won’t keep killing them? Every girl you bring?”

Loki’s eyes glowed as his gaze flickered over to him, his stare colored with hatred. “Ah, ah, ah, Mr. Laufeyson. You know good and well your tricks won’t work on me, just as mine won’t work on you.”

He looked back to you; your glamour started to wear off, the red in your hair sliding out and your natural color returning.

“You really thought she could do it huh? That she’d be the one to complete your little science project. She’d be the one to finally crack the code.” Ian stalked towards you two with a predatory step, his fangs bared. “That she might be able to solve the puzzle of who killed your Elizabeth, your prized human.”

“Shut. Up.” Loki’s voice was low and uncontrolled. Gently, he laid you back into the grass, watching as the glamour removed the sparkle in your eyes.

“She was special to you, wasn’t she? Too bad. It’s such a shame she felt the same way. You’re always too late, too late to protect them.”

Loki hurtled into him, a scream of fury echoed through the forest while he kicked his throat. Ian recovered quickly, launching into the air to come crashing down Loki. Loki’s figure left an indent on the ground as Ian threw punch after punch, driving him down further. Loki caught his fist and flung him off of him. Regaining his footing, Loki drove a hit to Ian’s stomach before he even made contact to the ground. 

“I’ll keep killing them.” Ian strained against Loki’s fist around his neck. “Every last one of them, until I stop breathing or you eventually die.” 

“Not if I end you.” Loki gritted through his teeth, his eyes an electric blue.

Then he stopped. 

Your coughs were wet and harsh but your heart -- your heart started beating again. Your breaths were shallow but existent.

You were alive; he wasn’t too late.

Ian strained to get up, but Loki’s grip tightened again.

“Don’t-don’t,” Coughs racked through your system. “Don’t kill him.” Your voice was a whisper, one that was growing weaker the longer you spoke. 

Loki’s heart soared. Elation took over and adrenaline ran through his veins. He would obey your wish. You were alive and that was all that mattered. Squeezing hard, Loki cut off the circulation of air to Ian’s lungs and soon his eyes were rolling backward as his figure went limp.

Loki leaned over you in the blink of an eye, his eyes full of worry. “You’re alive.” He sighed. 

Your eyes fluttered shut and he ran a hand over your cheek, trying to coax you into opening them again. He needed you looking at him, let him know you were still conscious. 

“Somehow.” Your hoarse voice told him. 

“I’m getting you inside.” He stopped you into his arms, slowly lifting you off the ground. He felt how weak you were; your arms didn’t move to wrap themselves around his neck, just hanging limply at your side.

“Okay..” You trailed off and Loki felt his window of keeping you alive closing.

For the second time today, he returned to his shadow-like form and rushed you towards the building.

 

__________________________________________

 

The lights were soft, a pounding of your head made them pulse in tandem and you nearly laughed at the similarities between when you first arrived and now. Same lights, same headache, same high ceilings and dark colored wood.

You could only breathe out slowly as your vision returned as each compression of the chest ached. From the weight on the bed to your left, you deduced quickly that you weren’t the only one in this room.

A short inhale came before your words exited in a quiet, croaking fashion. “Where am I?” 

Loki’s eyes were soft and a hand worked its way through your hair. It felt good, nice. Almost enough for sleep to drag you back into its gentle embrace. “You’re safe.” 

You attempted to crawl into a sitting position but you felt the poke of a needle and halted. “An IV, for the blood you’ve lost.”

You took a breath and used your free arm to shift upwards, Loki helping you with a soft touch and concerned eyes. A flame of annoyance crept up your throat as your voice came out much huskier than intended and still refused to cooperate. “I think Ian’s going to die. That transformation isn’t going to stick.” 

“You need to rest.” He stroked your cheek and you had to resist the pull to sleep. You did let a soft smile color your features and you felt Loki laugh slightly in content.

“You’re not helping.” You smiled. “I think the reason he wanted to kill me-” Loki bristled and you felt the hand stroking your face pause, “was because he thinks you’ll kill him if they find out.” Your eyes fluttered shut and you sighed. 

“I’ll kill him just because I simply don’t like him, but that at least that makes it more legitimate.” He went back to caressing your hair and eventually scooted beside you and pulled you against his chest.”He’s a fledgling.” He whispered. It almost seemed as if he was afraid to utter it out loud.

You hummed in agreement. “I need a sample of his blood to confirm it though.” Sleep became increasingly hard to fight against and the movement of his fingers through your hair lulled you closer to sweet dreams and lullabies.

“I’ll get it. Now you must rest.” He delicately pressed a finger to your chin, tilting it upwards to look him in the eye. His gaze implored you to understand, to grasp the weight of what he’s going to say. “You had me worried sick.”

You laughed and nearly cringed when your chest protested against it. “You’re a vampire. You don’t get sick.” 

He pressed a kiss into your hair and smiled. 

__________________________________________

 

Ian was less than cooperative, not that Loki minded. All that meant was that he could punch and slap and hurt him as much as he wanted to. Loki felt no remorse, no pity, no vestiges of empathy for this man. He’d killed Elizabeth; he’d nearly killed you too.

“I bet you believe you’re so strong now.” Ian’s fangs glinted in the dull light of the prison cell. The residents of Black Oak didn’t use them often, in fact, it had been nearly a century since anyone was placed here, but since Loki was short on time and resources, he’d figured this was the best option. 

Loki put a quizzical expression on his face and a finger to his chin, “Hm. Says the man behind bars who was put into slumber by the man currently speaking to you now.” 

Ian roared and slammed his weight into the bars. They were made of carbon steel, one of the strongest known to man and also nearly unbreakable. There was no way in hell Loki was letting him escape anytime soon.

“Your attempts to escape are futile. You’ll get nowhere by getting out of here.” Loki cleaned his fingernails while waiting for Ian’s temper tantrums to stop. 

“What do you want from me!” Ian could scream into the void as much as he wanted to, the simple fact was, Loki didn’t care.  Loki grabbed his hair and threw him to the bars, hard enough his forehead opened and a bit of blood dribbled out. 

Loki produced a needle and zapped up some of the liquid trailing down his head. When he’d had enough, he’d slammed him into the bars again for good measure. 

He’d never given Ian the satisfaction of an answer.

  
  


__________________________________________

 

There were samples waiting for you when you returned to the lab. 

You weren’t sure how Loki had gotten them so quickly, you were positive Ian would put up a fight, but he’d came and got you saying the samples were ready and he’d escort you down to the lab.

After running a few tests and sliding the blood under a microscope, it became clear that his white blood cells were waging a full out war on each other. His RBCs were destroyed by his own system as they no longer recognized nor were able to ignore the presence of his own and other foreign RBCs entering his body, possibly of a blood type other than his own.

He wasn’t going to live to see much more life. Eventually, he would go into a blood-sucking frenzy and die. You doubted there would ever be a cure for what he has and what other vampires might suffer from but you had a theory and you were willing to test it.

You plucked the tip of your finger with an x-acto knife and let a few drops fall into the Pietri dish with his blood. It looked like the formation of jello: agglutination. Nope. You took a sample of the girl in the street’s blood type. A few drops. Nothing. 

The white blood cells stopped attacking each other in her dish.

That had to be it. That had to be why none of them knew. 

 

__________________________________________

 

It wasn’t that you didn’t want to leave this place, you definitely did. But what was undoubtedly going to leave you with a broken heart was that you’d have to leave Loki. You weren’t going to see him every day, no matter how complicated your relationship was.

Saying these words hurt but lying to him just to buy more time would eventually hurt more. 

“He’s been finding blood sources that aren’t compatible with his own. That’s why he’s dying; that’s why these fledglings have been dying too.” You sighed, walking over to where Loki stood by the window.

The fireplace was lit and the room glowed honey. It felt safe. This place has become a home to you, in the short time you’ve been away from civilization and worming your way away from vampires.

Loki smiled softly and turned around, padding across the floor and over to where you stood near the door. “There was not a doubt in my mind that you eventually crack the code.” He drew your hands in his. “Thank you. Thank you for agreeing to help me, even when I was a little difficult to work with in the beginning.” 

“A little?” You countered.

He pulled you to him and held you like you were the only thing left in the world. Eventually, the tight embrace ended and he pulled back to look in your eyes. “Heavens, you’re amazing.” And then he kissed you with a force beyond words, fingers curling around your neck, prodding you closer. His lips entangled themselves in yours and you kissed back, eagerly. You sighed and he smiled and then he was just there kissing you, holding you to him and when you eventually looked up at him there were tears in his now glowing eyes and suddenly the room started moving.

“No!” You clung onto him, trying to fight the urge to faint. “No! I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’m sorry, love.” His voice broke and he lightly lowered you to the ground. He still kept you pressed firmly against him, another kiss applied to your forehead. “But I won’t you lose you too.” 

You stared at him as long as you could, for as long as your dying consciousness would allow. As the room spun and everything became blurred lines and fuzzy images, he’d still remained in exact focus.  This experience, this journey, felt like a dream, a fairytale your mind spins to send you off to sleep. It felt as if you’d wake up and this would all be fade to dust. 

Each line, each curve of his cheek, each of his beautiful eyes you memorized. You memorized him and the smell of his room, the color of his clothes, the way he walks. You memorized the lines in his face when he smiles and the deepness to his laugh. You memorized his dark hair and the way the ballroom chandelier shone upon him like a prince, like a king, and how much it adored him. You memorized the way he held you right now, fragile but with a tender, fierce touch. You focused on his protective caress and just as your eyes closed and darkness nearly took over, “until we meet again” -- whispered with a determination and affection comparable to sunlight bleeding through a gentle rain -- wiped all traces of your wakefulness and transformed your memories into nothing but dust.

 

__________________________________________

 

They’d never found a killer for the woman in the street and that mysterious man, Mr. Laufeyson?, never appeared again. In fact, you could scarcely recall his features, let alone his first name.

Life went back to normal, even though everyone freaked out over your disappearance -- apparently it was somewhere around three months. Jessica, your persistent coworker, hounded you for information, begging you to recall the slightest detail, but you couldn’t. No matter how hard you tried, nothing. Nothing but a blank, empty void of something that should be there but isn't. 

You can feel down to your core that memories were there, something impactful, meaningful. It just feels like it was pried from you, unwillingly, with a force beyond your understanding. Every time you try to concentrate on it and pull it to the surface, it feels like a fog is obscuring what you’re trying to find, making everything hazy and nebulous.

Where is the truth and why is it hiding from you?

Your sleep is restless and your dreams are strange. A chandelier here, a ballroom waltz there, some roses, a man leading you down a hallway, tearing through a forest knowing a beast is behind you, and a pair of blue eyes that glow. They’re just flashes, but it’s enough to make you wonder if any of it is real. The emotion of every scene that flutters into your dream state feels animated, alive, and, if anything, very real.

But you always wake up crying, tears creating rivets down your face. You know its a side effect of possible visions, but the hole in your chest, the ache for another scene, another picture from that life, leads you to believe this is more than just a midnight fantasy.

You just can’t make out all the details.

The story doesn’t connect; there is no bridge to close the gaps. Everything feels out of order, non-sequential images and parts of scenes jump into your dreamscape with no regard for chronological order. It makes it harder to sort through truth and a fictional game your mind is playing on itself.

It’s irritating and intriguing all at the same time.

Wiping your tears away, you stand from your bed and tread down to the kitchen to fix yourself a glass of water. It’s now 2 am and you’ve been tossing and turning for four hours. Your mental exhaustion has lead you to believe that the shadows on the wall are moving, but you’ve seen it so frequently, you immediately dismiss it.

It scared you then, but not now.

You pour your water, down it in three gulps, and stand, running a hand over the back of your neck. You decide to give up going back to sleep: it’s Friday, and you have the day off tomorrow. Turning on the T.V., a news reporter is at the scene of the woman, brutally murdered in the street.

“...seems we’ve identified a killer. Ian Agular, aged 26, is said to responsible in the killing of 24 year old….” A shockwave rolls through you and you jerk towards the screen. You know him; you recognize that face.

As if the night couldn’t get stranger, a shadow begins to move. This has happened before -- the first time you’d grabbed your lamp and screamed that you’d hit your attacker with it -- but this shadow morphed into a person and you hadn’t waited to see who it would turn into.

In the kitchen, you’d unsheathed your largest knife and held it out to him, a man with  _ glowing blue eyes?  _

“Stay back!” Your arm shook but you pressed on. “I’ll call the police!”

He smiled and you reached around for a pan. “Is this the way you greet someone you haven’t seen in a year?”

“I don’t know you.” You moved towards the door of your apartment, pressing alongside the island, watching him with a predatory eye.

“You do.” He moved a little closer with his hands up. “Albeit, I don’t know how much you remember of me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He was confusing you. He did look familiar, but not in a way you could put your finger on. His walk struck you, and his eyes...his face-you’ve seen them before.

His eyes turned soft. “I’m a friend, a friend you worked with long ago. You worked to help me find a cure for a very big problem, one you didn’t question -- surprisingly.”

The flashes hit you again and were strong enough for you to drop your makeshift weapons on the ground. Your eyes flew shut and your head thumped like a car with its stereo system turned all the way up and your hands held it, trying to make the pain disappear. It all came in flashes, in images, in sensations and emotions. You couldn’t keep it straight.

The pain was excruciating and you began to fall. You wanted to hit the ground, you wanted the feeling to confirm this was real, but you were in the arms of someone and they cradled you. A hand brushed some hair out of your face and a voice worriedly said, “look at me. Come on, (y/n), look at me.”

You obeyed and the spiraling stopped. You gently cupped his face, your fingers spreading to hold his cheek. “Loki?” You croaked.

His eyes flooded with tears, a few of them splashing onto your nose. “It’s me.” His hand covered your own. “It’s me.”

You cracked a smile. “I remember.”

 


End file.
